San Jose Sharks Scratch Goalie for Trade Related Purposes

The Sharks are currently the worst team in the NHL with just 16 wins and 41 points through 61 games.

They snapped an eight-game losing skid last night with a shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the 3rd period. It was the team's first win since January.

That being said, the two points in the standings won't mean much in the long run as they will very likely still finish dead last in the standings.

If anything, the team stands to get even worse in the next few days as they may move key players before Friday's trade deadline.

One player who appears to be getting traded is goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who will not be suiting up tonight as the team takes on the Buffalo Sabres.

Sharks reporter Sheng Peng revealed that the reason for the scratch is explicitly for trade-related reasons.

Vanecek has appeared in 18 games for the Sharks this season, putting up a 3-10-3 record, an .882 save percentage, and a 3.88 goals-against-average.

Those numbers are not good to be frank, but again, he is playing behind the worst team in the NHL.

Vanecek's goalie partner Alexander Georgiev, who will be getting the start tonight, has not been any better since joining the club.

The Bulgarian netminder has an .881 save percentage and a 3.79 GAA with the Sharks across 16 starts, to go with his 3-12-1 record.

The Sharks have already moved key players in Mackenzie Blackwood, Mikael Granlund, and Cody Ceci, so it should be interesting to see who is left by next Saturday.

Be sure to stay tuned to see if the club makes any more major moves in the coming days.